Steam purifying apparatus



Feb. 27, 1940. H, K H 2,191,671

STEAM PURIFYING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwuc vvbor/ MAX H. KUHNER fla nt 7- Feb. 27, 1940. M. H. KUHNER STEAM PURIFYING APPARATUS F'i'led Nov. 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MAX H. KUHNER Patented Feb. 27, 1940 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEAM PURIFYING APPARATUS Max H. Kuhner, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Riley Stoker Corporation, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 26, 1937, Serial No. 176,549 3 Claims. (Cl. 183-24) This invention relates to steam purifying apbodiment of the invention, and in which like paratus, and more particularly to apparatus for reference numerals indicate like parts,

washing steam with comparatively clean water Fig. 1 is a section throu the t -a d-Waand subsequentlyseparating the moisture from te dr O a o taken on e e f the steam. Fig. 2; 5

The steam liberated in a boiler ordinarily c'ar- Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figries in suspension an appreciable quantity of in- Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in elevation of one soluble solid matter, as well as a considerable 0f the steam washing elements; amount of boiler water which is highly cona Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

taminated with dissolved impurities. If such Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of 'Fig. 3; 10

steam is delivered to a superb-eater and thence to and a turbine, great difficulties will be encountered by Fig. 6 is a view partly in elevation and partly in reason of deposits in the superheater tubes and section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4. on the turbine blades. This has been recognized, The embodiment illustrated comprises a horiand various attempts have been made to wash ,zontal steam-and-water drum ill to which are 15 the steam by means of the boiler feed water, connected a bank of riser tubes II and a bank which is much cleaner than the water in the of down-comer tubes l2. A row of tubes" I4 is boiler. However, these prior constructions have connected. to the upper portion of the drum to in general been complicated and expensive, and withdraw the steam therefrom. This drum may in many cases they have failed to produce satisform a part of a complete steam boiler of the 2 factory results in service. type shown in my prior Patent No. 1,990,945 It is accordingly one object of the invention to granted February 12, 1935. It .will be understood provide a comparatively simple, inexpensive and that the riser tubes ll deliver a mixture of eificient apparatus for washing the impurities steam and water to the drum II], the steam being from steam and removing the suspended moisliberated within the drum, and the water flowing 5 ture. downwardly through the tubes l2. The steam It is a further object of the invention to procarries a considerable quantity of the boiler water vide means whereby steam can be purified within in suspension, and since this water is highly the drum of a steam boiler without unduly ob-, concentrated it is important to wash the steam structing the interior of the drum. with a comparatively clean water and then re- 30 With these and other objects in view, as will move as much of the moisture aspossible, so that be apparent to those skilled in the art, the ina minimum of impurities will remain in the vention resides in the combination of'parts set steam when it leaves the drum. forth in the specification and covered by the In order to effect the desired purification of the claims appended hereto. steam there is provided within the drum l0 and 35 In accordance with my. invention in its preabove the water line therein a series of hollow ferrd form, I provide a hollow casing into which casings l5 each comprising a substantially cylinthe steam is delivered in such" a manner as to dr l pp po 6 arranged With its axis whirl within the casing, and I provide means for vertical, and a downwardly converging conical 40 subjecting the steam as it enters the casing to the lower portion I! therebeneath, these parts being 40 action of a sheet or spray of comparatively clean formed with cooperating lugs I9 which are faswater which removes a considerable proportion of tened together by means of bolts 20. The casings the impurities from the steam. As the steam are small enough to permit them to pass through whirls within the casing the remaining impurities the manholes 2| in the heads of the drum I0.

and the suspended moisture particles are hurled The cylindrical portion iii of each casing is pro- 45' outwardly by centrifugal force against the casvided with a tangential inlet passage 23 through ing walls and are discharged from the casing by which the steam may enter directly from the gravity. The clean steam escapes through a steam space of the drum l0. Each casing l5is central outlet. A plurality of these casings may also provided with an upper wall 24 through be mounted within a horizontal boiler drum in which extends a central vertical outlet pipe 25 50 a longitudinal row, and they may be arranged to havingits lower end located near the junction or deliver the washed steam through openings in a the portions l6 and ll of the casing. The upper partition wall located in the upper part of the ends of the outlet pipes 25 extend through a horidrum. zontal plate or partition wall 21 which in con- Referring to the drawings illustrating one emjunction with the upper wallof the drum serves 1 to enclose a space 28 from which the steam may flow directly into the tubes M. This plate 21 is welded or otherwise secured to the drum wall, and. the casings I5 are bolted to the plate. The interior surfaces of the casings l5 are provided with vertical ribs 30 which preferably decrease in radial dimensions toward their upper ends and terminate somewhat below the upper wall 24. To the lower end of each conical portion ll there is connected a vertical pipe 3| which extends downwardly into the water in the lower portion of the drum.

Means is provided to bring the boiler feed water into intimate contact with the steam as it enters the casings l5. For this purpose a nozzle 33 is provided above each inlet passage 23, and feed water is supplied to these nozzles through branch pipes 34 leading from the main feed water supply pipe 35 of the boiler.' The nozzles 33 may be constructed as an integral part of the casings, and in the embodiment illustrated each branch pipe 34 leads to a small chamber 31 formed in the upper portion N5 of the casing directly above the inlet passage 23, this chamber having a narrow discharge slot 38 arranged to direct a sheet of water downwardly across the passage 23 and at a slight inclination toward the on-coming steam. The. lower wall 39 of the passage 23 is sloped upwardly and inwardly, so that a considerable part 'of the water falling thereon will flow outwardly by gravity into the drum.

The operation of the invention will now be apparent from the above disclosure. A mixture of steam and water enters the drum I0 through the tubes I l, and most of the water drops out by gravity and flows downwardly through the tubes l2. A considerable amount of water however remains in suspension in the Steam, and this water is highly contaminated with impurities. From the steam space of the drum the wet steam enters the passages 23, being compelled to pass through the downwardly directed sheets of feed water issuing from the slots 38. This feed water is comparatively clean, and it serves to wash the boiler water and impurities from the steam, much of this matter being discharged'into the drum by gravity from the sloping walls 39;- Such moisture as does enter the casings I5 with the steam is largely derived from the feed water. Because of the tangential arrangement of each passage 23 and the velocity of the steam traveling therethrough, the steam will whirl rapidly about a vertical axis as it moves downwardly through the upper portion iii of the casing, and the moisture will be thrown outwardly by centrifugal force and retained by the ribs 30. The comparatively dry pure steam will escape upwardly through the central pipes 25 to the space 28 and thence to the tubes M. The separated moisture will descend by gravity through the conical lower portions l1 and pipes 3| to the drum.

The apparatus is comparatively simple and inexpensive, and will remove substantially all impurities from the steam. The interior of the boiler drum is not unduly obstructed. The invention is adapted for use with boilers of various, types.

Having thus described'my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Steam purifying apparatus comprising a hollow casing having a central outlet through which steam may escape upwardly through the upper wall of the casing, means providing an inlet passage connected to the casing tangentially through which steam may be delivered to the casing and which water may escape from the casing.

2. Steam purifying apparatus comprising a hol- 3 low casing having a central outlet through which steam may escape upwardly through the upper" wall of the casing, means providing an inlet passage connected to the casing tangentially through which steam may be delivered to the casing and caused to whirl therein about the outlet, means to discharge comparatively clean water across the path of the steam in the inlet passage, the lower wall .of the inlet passage sloping inwardly and upwardly whereby to discharge outwardly by gravity water which contacts therewith, and means providing a drain through which water may escape from the casing.

3. Steam purifying apparatus comprising a hollow casing having a central outlet through which steam may escape upwardly through the upper wall of the casing, means providing an inlet passage connected to the casing tangentially through which steam may be delivered to the casing and caused; to whirl therein about the outlet, a nozzle located above the inlet passage and arranged to discharge comparatively clean water downwardly across the path of the entering steam to the lower wall of the inlet passage, the said lower wall sloping inwardly and upwardly whereby to discharge outwardly by gravity water which contacts therewith, and means providing a drain MAX H. KUHN'ER.

20 caused to whirl therein about the outlet, means to 

